Electric rivet heating



G. A. E. JONES.

ELECTRiC RIVET HEATING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED APRAZS. 1919.

1 ,3 1 3, 5 38 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Fig. 3.

INVENTOR. @eo ge AlZJor'z as,

- of which the one which is to ma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A E. JONES, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC RIVET-HEATING APPLIANCE.

Application filed April 25,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. E. Jones, a citizen of the United States,'and resident of New London and county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Electric Rivet-Heating Ap pliant-es, of which the following description, lll'COllllBCtlOIl with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to an electric heating appliance or tool and is intended as an improvement on the portable electrode or tool for heating rivets forming the subject of my patent numbered 1,297,570, dated March 18, 1919 for apparatus for hot riveting.

The present improvement is embodied in the tool or electrode which is to be applied by the operator to the end of the rivet to be heated and thereafter to be headed or upset against the plating or material to be united by the rivet.

The invention consists in part in an electrode composed of two conducting portions e contact with the material to be heated is yieldingly movable relative to the other, or main body portion, and there being a normally open circuit closer between the two partswhich is closed by the yielding movement of the contacting portion when pressed with suflicient force against the rivet to be heated.

The invention further consists in certain features of'construction which will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1, is a longitudinal section partly in elevation of an electrode or heating tool embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof on a smaller" scale, also illustrating the rivet to be heated and the companion electrode applied to the head of the rivet, and

Fig. 3, a side elevation partly in section of a removable tip forming a part of the I contacting portion of the electrode or heatin tool. I

ieferring to Fig. 1, the electrode forming the subject of this invention comprises a main body (portion 2, which may be made of copper, an a movable contactin portion 3; these parts being inclosed in t e covering of insulating material 4 which is itself 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

1919. Serial No. 292,542.

inclosed in a protecting shield 5 substantially as in the construction shown in my former application, except for certain structural features which will be hereinafter described.

Interposed between the main body portion 2 and the movable contacting portion 3 of the electrode is a circuit closing device composed of a contacting spring 12, secured to, but insulated from, the main body portion 2 of the electrode as shown, and having its free end in contact with the inner surface of the movable contactin portion 3 of the electrode in proper relation to an anvil 13 secured to or forming a part of the main body portion 2 of the electrode and being in electrical continuity therewith.

The movable contact 12 of the circuitspring which acts to force the contacting portion 3 of the electrode outward or away from the main body portion 2, and when free to act holds the said portion 3 in its outermost position and is itself separated from the an vil 13 so that the current which is supplied to the main body portion 2 by the flexible conductor or cable 20 does not pass to the contacting portion 3 of the electrode.

The said contacting portion 3 has its outer or exposed part of somewhat smaller diameter than the part that is fully contained in the insulating material 4, thus forming a shoulder 30 which in conjunction with the annulus 40 forming a part of the insulating covering of the electrode, serves as a stop to limit the outward movement of the contacting portion 3 of the electrode, which thus normally stands electrically separated from the main portion 2 as shown in Fig. 1.

The protecting shield 5 which may be made of iron or other durable material is made in this instance in the form of a cylindrical shell having at one end theinwardly turned flange 52 which covers the end of the insulated electrode, except for the opening through which the cable 20 or its terminal plug 22 enters to make connection with the main body 2 of the electrode.

At the other end the covering shield 5 is screw threaded and a correspondingly threaded flanged ring 53 is screwed thereon into engagement with the annulus 40 of insulating material and thus retains the movable contacting portion 3 in proper operative relation to the main portion 2 of the electrode and protects the insulated electrode Patented Ang. 19, 1919;

sulated electrode may be suitable handle 55 to facilltate its manipulation by the operator, Whp presses the contacting portion against the end of the rivet to be heated as illustrated in Fig; 2, in which the rivet to .be headedis marked 60, the

plates or structural parts to be united thereb are marked'61 and '62 and the companion electrode or heating tool applied to the head of the rivet is marked 63.

I have discovered that a more uniform and effective heating is obtained when the electrode makes contact with the rivet around the periphery or circumferential edge, thereof, and in order to effect such heating the contacting end of the-contacting portion 3 of the electrode is made with a recess 32, having a conical ortapering surface 33.

Thus when the electrode is pressed against the end'of the rivet as illustrated in Fig. 2 the circumferential edge'of the rivet will make contact with the tapering or conical wall 33 of the recess 32, an the same effect will be produced with rivets of different size, as a smaller rivet will come to its bearing at a greater depth in the recess than a larger rivet.

I If however as shown in Fig. 1, the recess in the end of the contacting part was sufficiently large to cooperate with the largest sized rivets commonly used, and said recess is also made deep enough for quite small rivets, the extreme end of the electrode would be likely to come in contact with the plate in which the rivet is to be heated, be-

fore coming into full contact with the tip of the rivet.

In order to provide for rivets of the range of sizes commonly used, the tip portion 34 of the contacting portion 3 of the electrode.

is made removable, and an additional tip such as is illustrated in Fig. 3 is provided having a recess'32 with a tapering wall 33 such as already described but of smaller size than that shown in Fig. 1.

In order to provide for removing the tip 34, it is provided with a threaded shank 35 which screws into a .correspondin recess in the inner portion of the contacting part 3 and said removable tip is shown as provided withwrench faces 36 to facilitate the operation of applying it to or removing it from the other part that remains contained in the insulated shield, and said part is provided with a recess 37 to be engaged by a holding-pin which may be inserted through a hole 38 in the shield and insulation in order to prevent the inner part of the contacting portion 3, from turning when the removable tip is being screwed on to the same or unscrewed therefrom.

The two tips with recesses of the relative size indicated will be suflicient for all tion 2 of the electrode in any suitable way as by the bayonet joint construction illustrated in Fig. 1, in which pins 24 secured in the body 2 of the electrode project into the plug socket and engage with the plug in grooves 25 thereof as will be readily undestood.

What I claim is 1. A freely movable implement for heating rivets com rising an electrode composed of a. main bo y portion, and a yieldingly movable contacting portion having a contact surface to be placed in contact with the exposed end of the rivet to be heated, and a normally open circuit closer between said portions adapted to be closed by the yielding movement of the contacting portion when the main body of the electrode is forcibly pressed toward the rivet substantially as described.

2. In a freely movable implement for heating rivets an electrode having a contacting portion to be placed in contact with the exposed end of the rivet to be heated, said contacting portion having a tapering recess in its rivet engaging end whereby contact is made with the rivet around the periphery thereof, substantially as described.

3. In an implement for heating rivets a freely movable electrode comprising a body portion and a yieldingly movable contacting portion, and a normally open circuit closer interposedbetween said portions, combined with an insulating covering for said electrode and a protecting shield inclosing said covering, said insulating covering and shield supporting the movable contacting portion of the electrode in proper relation to the main portion and limiting the outward movement of said contacting portion substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE A. E. JONES. 

